Bells toll for Newtown victims

The somber and chilling sound of bells ringing reverberated through Newtown, across Connecticut and the United States, marking the one-week anniversary of a mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

As rain poured from the sky, Gov. Dannel Malloy, Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman and other state and local officials stood on the steps of Newtown Town Hall as bells rang 26 times - once for each of the victims killed inside the school.

The gunman, Adam Lanza, shot and killed his mother before the massacre and killed himself as police moved in to the school.

No speeches were made, formal or otherwise, to pay respects to those that lost their lives.

According to the Associated Press, President Barack Obama and the White House privately observed the moment of silence.

Earlier this week, Malloy signed a proclamation declaring Friday as a "Day of Mourning" in Connecticut.

The outpouring of support has been tremendous for those affected by the tragedy in Newtown, and churches across the state held extra services to accommodate anyone wishing to reflect on the incident that shook the state to its core.

Danbury is one of those communities where people have stepped up to do what they can to help.

"So many things we don't have control over," said Pastor Karen Karpow of the United Methodist Church of Danbury. "This is one of those things, and something like this points out we have way less control over things than we think we do."

The congregation at the United Methodist Church of Danbury came together Friday morning to pray.

"It's going to be awful," Karpow said. "We will be remembering, imagining, praying. It's going to be hard."

Students at Sandy Hook Elementary School will return in January but will be attending school in Monroe.

Sandy Hook's retired principal said she will fill the role as head school official.

"We have a choice on how to react," Karpow said. "We can react by turning to the light rather than darkness. We can react by helping rather than withdrawing. We can help by reaching out."

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